This application relates to a controlled diverter valve for selectively controlling the flow of a heated fluid that is used as a driving heat source inlet for a refrigerant absorption cycle.
Refrigerant absorption cycles have been used for decades to provide a cooled or heated water source for environmental temperature control in buildings. As is known, an absorber and an evaporator in a refrigerant absorption cycle selectively receives a concentrated absorption fluid, such as a LiBr solution, and a separate refrigerant (often water), respectively. The absorption fluid is selectively dropped onto separate tube sets in the absorber and absorbs the refrigerant vapor generated from the evaporator. A dilute solution, containing both the absorption fluid and the refrigerant is then returned to a generator for generating a heated, concentrated absorption fluid. In the generator, a driving heat source drives the refrigerant vapor out of the mixed fluid. From the generator, the absorption fluid and removed refrigerant vapor are separately returned to the absorber and the evaporator, respectively. The aspects set forth above are a simplified description of a complex system.
For various reasons, the demand for cooling capacity of the absorption refrigerant cycle changes over time. With this change in capacity, the amount of driving heat source needed by the system also needs to be changed. To date, the prior art has rejected heat by various control methods once the heat is already within the cycle.